Humanity's Hero Of Despair

The warmth of the sunlight shining through the windows wakes me up.

I squint until my eyes adjust to the light coming in through my curtains. My body aches slightly as I stretch my muscles. My bed is fairly comfortable, though I somehow managed to sleep in the wrong position yet again. It could be due to stress more than anything else.

I yawn slowly as I make my way to the curtains to open them up.

Whoosh!

A cool, warm breeze rushes into my bedroom as I open up the curtains and window. It is a beautiful day out, so I decide to step out onto the balcony. Maybe it will make me feel more awake. The sounds of the city greet me as I step out onto the balcony.

People are heading to work, vendors are setting up their businesses, and children are playing around in the park. The sight is so incredibly peaceful to see you wouldn't think anything is wrong. My hands grip the balcony railing. The peace I see today—I hope it isn't ruined by the flames of the dragons.

I head back inside my room and go to the bathroom.

As usual, my hair looks like a mess. After brushing my teeth and some effort, I manage to get my hair under control. It wouldn't look great for a Grand Duke to look messy. We can all agree on that. In my closet, I find some comfortable clothes to put on. Then I make my way to my nightstand to grab my wands.

The meal room. Here I come!

My friends and I happily chat together during breakfast. The natural sunshine and warmth seem to make our moods lighter. The food is always amazing. I couldn't be more thankful to be able to eat delicious food, which only some commoners could hope to eat. In some ways, I do understand why Grand Duke Pedgas wants a republic.

Though, trying to make one right now wouldn't be the smartest move for humanity as a whole.

The Grand Duke raises his hand for silence as he has something to say to all of us.

"My lovely guests, it is time to let you all know that today I will be extremely busy with my duties as Grand Duke of this territory. Please take time today to explore Pedgas as a whole, and if you have any questions, please ask any of my attendants. If you want to go anywhere, just ask them."

We all say we understand, and he leaves the table to attend to whatever mysterious business he has going on. My friends and I discuss what we are going to be doing for the day.

Estes says he is going to the Pedgas Public Library to see if they have any cool and interesting books. Zephyr and Neve say they are going to head to the Pedgas Public Park on a date together. I tease them both for being so cute. The Grey siblings say they are both going to explore the city and find the best sweet shops.

All of us laugh at hearing that comment. It is so like them to do that.

Ivy mentions there is a big market going on in the city and asks if I want to go with her, to which I reply, "Of course, idiot." Suddenly, we are all off doing our own thing. Walking through the lively streets of Pedgas reminds me of the time Ivy and I went to the market in Stonelight.

During that period of time, we were extremely nervous about each other. Now we are here holding hands and laughing together. As they say, time flies by fast when you are having fun. This moment immerses me in all my senses.

The smell of fresh apples. The sound of happy laughter. The sight of colorful flowers at one of the vendors. The feeling of Ivy's hand. The taste of watermelon at one of the vendors Ivy and I stop at to grab a snack.

All of it feels amazing. It feels nice to have at least one good day.

Ivy and I stop at one stall selling pendants. Looks like my negotiating skills when it comes to price aren't great, as Ivy teases me while I try to get a discount. Even with all my new wealth, I have a habit of being careful with my money. It never hurts.

I just never had much during my Mistfall days in Keeper Academy.

The both of us continue walking around and then spend some time in the park, where we run into Zephyr and Neve. We all hang out for a bit until we see the sun starting to set. We then all start heading back to Pedgas Castle for dinner.

We soon reunite with all of our other friends in the meal room.

Estes passionately talks about all the interesting books he has found in the library. Zephyr and Neve talk about how they visited some parts of the park we haven't seen yet, which we should all go see together. Leena and Matteo quickly pull out their sweets and then explain where they got each of them from in the city.

The Grand Duke comes into the meal room a bit late and eats dinner with us. He stays mostly silent as he seems intrigued by our conversation. The atmosphere still seems mostly relaxed as day turns into night. The Grand Duke leaves the table early to go do something. The rest of us continue eating and drinking for a little bit until we are feeling very tired.

We eventually say our goodbyes and head to our rooms.

Curiosity gets the best of me, so I purposefully take my time getting to my room. I silently walk up the staircase. This isn't a good idea, I say to myself as I creep closer to the corner nearest to the staircase leading to the third floor. Sure enough, there are guards stationed here.

Except they look half asleep.

I hear whispers coming from the third floor. One voice is the Grand Duke's. The other voice I don't recognize at all. I use light and dark magic to camouflage my presence as I try to get closer to hear their voices better.

"They can never find out. If they do, we might have to kill them."

Found out what, and kill who?